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Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster

Free daily dose of word power from Merriam-Webster"s experts

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00:01:58

lucrative

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/05/17

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 17, 2024 is: lucrative • \LOO-kruh-tiv\ • adjective Something described as lucrative produces money or wealth. // The author parlayed the success of her books into a lucrative second career as a public speaker. See the entry > Examples: "A vibrant commercial Off Broadway sector existed decades ago, but it shrank as the nonprofit theater movement grew, providing a home for adventurous art

en-us

00:02:17

debacle

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/05/16

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 16, 2024 is: debacle • \dee-BAH-kul\ • noun Debacle is usually used synonymously with fiasco to mean “a complete failure.” It can also refer to a great disaster (though typically not one that causes significant suffering or loss). // After the debacle of his first novel, he had trouble getting a publisher for his next book. // The state has made a great deal of progress in recovering from its economic

en-us

00:01:44

agrarian

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/05/04

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 4, 2024 is:agrarian • \uh-GRAIR-ee-un\ • adjective Something described as agrarian has to do with farms and farming. // Joan hopes to leave city life behind and move to a more agrarian region where she plans to raise lambs and grow heirloom vegetables. See the entry > Examples: "In an interview, [cultural studies researcher, Toni] Smith said fantasizing about agrarian life is nothing new

en-us

00:01:38

melee

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/05/03

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 3, 2024 is: melee • \MAY-lay\ • noun Melee refers to a confused fight or struggle, especially one involving hand-to-hand combat. // What started as a verbal disagreement at the football game soon turned into a general melee involving scores of spectators. See the entry > Examples: "The battle scenes are a Hollywood mishmash of medieval melees, meaningless cannonades, and World War I-style

en-us

00:02:37

forfend

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/05/02

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 2, 2024 is: forfend • \for-FEND\ • verb Forfend is used in contexts relating to some kind of real or pretended danger or other unpleasantness. In humorous and ironic use, forfend typically appears in the phrase “heaven forfend,” and, like “heaven forbid,” expresses a usually ironic desire that something not happen or be done. In general use, if you forfend something unwanted or undesirable, you ward it off or

en-us

00:02:05

cohesive

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/05/01

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 1, 2024 is: cohesive • \koh-HEE-siv\ • adjective Something described as cohesive sticks together and forms something closely united. The word is usually used with abstract terms in phrases like "a cohesive social unit" or "a cohesive look/aesthetic." Cohesive can also be used to describe something, such as the design of a room or the plot of a movie, that is coherent—in other words, logically or consistently

en-us

00:01:51

demagogue

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/30

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 30, 2024 is: demagogue • \DEM-uh-gahg\ • noun A demagogue is a political leader who tries to get support by making use of popular prejudices, as well as by making false claims and promises and using arguments based on emotion rather than reason. // His opponent called him a bigoted demagogue for demonizing those who don't intend to vote for him. See the entry > Examples: “You need an

en-us

00:01:46

inviolable

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/29

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 29, 2024 is: inviolable • \in-VYE-uh-luh-bul\ • adjective Inviolable is a formal term that is used to describe something too important to be ignored or treated with disrespect. // She considers herself a person with inviolable moral standards. See the entry > Examples: "Under international law, humans possess an inviolable right to freedom of thought. As part of this, governments have a duty

en-us

00:01:59

ken

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/28

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 28, 2024 is: ken • \KEN\ • noun Ken refers to someone’s range of perception, knowledge, or understanding, and is most often used in phrases like “beyond/outside/within one’s ken.” // The author advised the aspiring writers in the crowd to develop an authoritative voice by sticking to subjects within their ken. See the entry > Examples: “… I’m still pretty much an amateur when it comes to

en-us

00:02:41

assail

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/27

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 27, 2024 is: assail • \uh-SAIL\ • verb Assail has a number of meanings relating to violent or powerful confrontations. It can be a straightforward synonym of assault, as in "assailed by armed robbers," or it can mean "to oppose, challenge, or criticize harshly and forcefully," as in "citizens assailing the proposed changes." It can also mean "to trouble or afflict in a way that threatens to overwhelm," as in

en-us

00:02:07

homage

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/26

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 26, 2024 is: homage • \AH-mij\ • noun An homage is something that is done to honor someone or something. It is often used with the word pay (as in “pay homage”) to mean “to respect or honor.” // Her latest book is an homage to her favorite city. // The paintings in the new art gallery pay homage to women artists of the past. See the entry > Examples: “The series also pays homage to Detroit

en-us

00:01:41

tendentious

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/25

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 25, 2024 is:tendentious • \ten-DEN-shus\ • adjective Tendentious is a formal word used disapprovingly to describe someone or something expressing a strongly biased point of view in a way that may cause argument. // The book proved to be a tendentious account of the town's history, written to rescue the reputation of one of its less scrupulous founders. See the entry > Examples: “Polls can

en-us

00:01:54

burgeon

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/24

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 24, 2024 is: burgeon • \BER-jun\ • verb To burgeon is to grow or develop quickly—in other words to flourish, blossom or sprout. // The trout population in the stream has burgeoned since the town implemented its laws against overfishing. See the entry > Examples: "From the quaint charm of its historic downtown to the dynamic energy of its burgeoning Arts District, Gilbert [Arizona] offers

en-us

00:02:15

exodus

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/23

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 23, 2024 is: exodus • \EK-suh-dus\ • noun An exodus is a situation in which many people leave a place at the same time—in other words a mass departure or emigration. // The resort town eagerly anticipated the mass exodus from the cities to its beaches as summer approached. See the entry > Examples: “Experts link lower rents to a possible drop in demand after population losses during a recent

en-us

00:01:40

palpable

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/22

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 22, 2024 is: palpable • \PAL-puh-bul\ • adjective Something described as palpable is obvious and notable. Palpable may also be used as a synonym of tangible to describe something that can be perceived by one's sense of touch. // The tension in the courtroom was palpable as the jury foreman stood to announce the verdict. See the entry > Examples: "The power of the ancestral people who built

en-us

00:02:41

noblesse oblige

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/21

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 21, 2024 is:noblesse oblige • \noh-BLESS-uh-BLEEZH\ • noun Noblesse oblige refers to the idea that people who have high social rank or wealth should be helpful and generous to people of lower rank or to people who are poor. // As the inheritor of a great fortune, he was raised to have a strong sense of noblesse oblige, not only volunteering and donating to charity, but advocating for structural change to

en-us

00:02:09

gingerly

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/20

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 20, 2024 is: gingerly • \JIN-jer-lee\ • adjective An act or manner described as gingerly is very cautious or careful. // It’s a delicate subject, and we need to approach it with gingerly care and tact. // The antelope moved with a gingerly gait that suggested it was hurt. See the entry > Examples: “Note: bears do not in a gingerly manner put their paws against each stem of a lovely ripe

en-us

00:01:53

underwhelm

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/19

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 19, 2024 is:underwhelm • \un-der-WELM\ • verb To underwhelm someone is to fail to impress or excite them. // Despite the hype, the movie underwhelmed most reviewers, who criticized its slow pace and poor special effects. See the entry > Examples: "Wake me up when NBA All-Star Weekend ends. Let’s start with the Dunk Contest, which is supposed to be the most exciting event. It wasn’t. Most of

en-us

00:02:32

qua

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/18

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 18, 2024 is:qua • \KWAH\ • preposition Qua is a preposition used in formal speech or writing that means “in the capacity or character of (someone or something).” It is used synonymously with as to indicate that someone or something is being referred to or thought about in a particular way. // The artist qua artist is less interesting to me than the artist as a human being. See the entry >

en-us

00:02:14

circumlocution

Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day ·

2024/04/17

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 17, 2024 is:circumlocution • \ser-kum-loh-KYOO-shun\ • noun Circumlocution refers to the use of many words to say something that could be said more clearly and directly with fewer words. Usually encountered in formal speech and writing, circumlocution can also refer to speech that is intentionally evasive. // The judge coughed and pointed to her watch, clearly impatient with the attorney's tiresome

en-us

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Merriam-Webster"s Word of the Day

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